ivy caldwell author at My Family Travels
Article
Skip the Zion Crowds and Head to This Nevada Park Where the Canyons Are All Yours

Pulling off a quiet Nevada highway and suddenly finding yourself surrounded by towering clay spires that look like they belong on another planet. I had driven past the park sign...

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The Second Floor of This New Mexico Landlord’s Home Belongs to a Spirit Who Never Signed a Lease

Victorian curves and sun baked walls. That adobe building on a quiet New Mexico street looks like something pulled straight from another century. The first time I saw it, there...

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Illinois Most Famous Phantom Light Changes Color Moves Erratically and Refuses to Be Photographed

That strange light out along the old railroad corridor in southern Illinois has no business being there. People have reported it for decades, and no one has ever fully explained...

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The Italian Beef of Illinois Where Giardiniera Is Not a Suggestion It Is a Requirement

My first bite at this Illinois sandwich shop was one of those moments that sticks with you long after the last drop of gravy is gone. The beef was thinly sliced, deeply seasoned,...

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Stand on the Boardwalk at Dawn and Watch Mist Spirals Rise From Illinois Ancient Cypress Cathedral

The air smells like wet earth and ancient wood. The trees here were already giants when medieval castles were being built across the ocean.

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While Tourists Crowd Old Man’s Cave This Ohio Hidden Gem Stays Quiet and Cold and Perfect

Most people road tripping through this Ohio region have a famous cave locked into their GPS before they even pack the car. But a few miles away, a nature preserve sits in a narrow...

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Shadowy Figures Watch Every Show From the Wings of This Wisconsin Stage and They Never Bought Tickets

Concert venues with history, and then there is this one in Wisconsin. This massive nineteen twenties building has hosted legends, locals, and something else entirely. I remember...

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Watch Lake Michigan Waves Explode Against Limestone Cliffs at This Wisconsin Hidden Shore

The first time I stood at the edge of the limestone cliffs at this Wisconsin park, I completely forgot where I was. Water the color of the Caribbean crashed below me with a force...

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The Wisconsin Cemetery Where America Beer Barons Toast Each Other for Eternity

A place in Wisconsin that carries the weight of history so quietly you almost miss it. The first time I visited, I expected a somber, gray afternoon, but what I found instead was...

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You Have to Drive Through Prairie Nothingness to Reach This North Dakota Burger Legend

You follow a two lane road through wide open North Dakota prairie, with nothing but golden grass and big sky stretching out in every direction, and then suddenly you find a place...

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This North Dakota Coffee Shop Built Itself on Plants Pride and the Perfect Avocado Toast

Some coffee shops just serve coffee. This North Dakota spot does something much bigger than that. The moment you step inside,...

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You Will Hear Footsteps Above You at This Nebraska Hotel Even When You Are on the Top Floor

There is a hotel in a small Nebraska town where guests on the top floor still hear footsteps coming from above them, even when there is no floor above. The building has been standing...

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This Kansas Spot Has Been Flipping Patties for Sixty Nine Years and Still Refuses to Slow Down

Some places just have a pull to them, the kind you feel before you even place your order. This Kansas spot has been flipping patties since nineteen fifty five, a family owned walk...

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This Adirondack Beach Has Fresh Water Instead of Salt and Silence Instead of Noise

There is a beach tucked inside this New York park where the water is clear, the air smells like pine, and the only sounds you hear are loons calling across the lake. The lake stretches...

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8 Vermont Villages That Feel Like Stepping Into a Different Century, Solo Wanderer Approved

Vermont has a way of making time feel optional. Some corners of this state look so unchanged that you half expect to see a horse drawn cart rolling down the main street.

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I Walked Into a 1958 Café in Maine and Never Wanted to Leave

You step through the door and something shifts. The old signs on the walls, the photographs of people you never met, the smell of coffee and maple syrup mixing together. This...

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This Abandoned Spot in Maine Has No Sign, No Address, Just a Feeling

You will not find this place on Google Maps. There is no sign, no parking lot, no trail marker telling you where to go. You just...

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A Little Town in Kentucky Throws a Whole Festival for This Beer Cheese and Nobody Thinks That’s Weird

You would think a town throwing an entire festival for a cheese spread might raise some eyebrows. But in this part of Kentucky, nobody bats an eye.

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You Can Walk Right Up to a Real Shipwreck at This Massachusetts Beach When the Tide Goes Out

You walk past the dunes, down toward the water, and there it is. A dark wooden skeleton rising from the sand, looking like something from a pirate movie that wandered off set.

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8 Florida Shops Serving Churros So Good You Will Forget Your Name

You bite into a warm churro and for a few seconds, nothing else matters. Not the bills. Not the traffic. Not the name your parents...

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Louisiana’s Rarest Breakfast Is Couche-Couche and Only One Place Still Serves It the Old Way

You have probably never heard of couche-couche. That is not your fault. This Louisiana breakfast dish, a simple mix of cornmeal...

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Louisiana Has a Beignet Scene Outside the French Quarter And Here Are 6 Spots

The French Quarter has a lock on the beignet conversation. Cafe du Monde. Powdered sugar clouds. Tourists in line at all hours.

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The Elevator Still Stops at Floor Thirteen in This Florida Hotel Even When Nobody Pushes the Button

You step into the elevator, press the button for your floor, and wait. The doors close. The car starts moving. Then it stops.

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The Witch of Yazoo Made a Promise in 1884 And This Small Mississippi Town Regrets Ignoring Her

She came to this small Mississippi town in 1884, a stranger with a story she would not share. The locals did not trust her. They...

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10 Louisiana Creole Gems That Won’t Show Up in Tourist Guides

Forget the glossy magazines and the tourist maps. The real Louisiana Creole food does not advertise. It hides in neighborhoods...

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This North Carolina Farm Raised Cows at First Then It Switched to Bison and Never Looked Back

This family in North Carolina started like a lot of farms do. Cows grazing in the fields. The usual routine. But somewhere along...

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11 Places in Florida Where Prices Haven’t Gotten the Memo

Inflation has touched almost everything in Florida. Rent. Groceries. A cup of coffee that used to cost two dollars.

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This Florida Outlet Mall Has 130 Stores and Discounts So Deep You Will Need a Second Suitcase

You tell yourself you are just looking. That is how it starts. A quick walk through the stores, maybe a peek at the sales, nothing...

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Caffeine to Cocktails, North Carolina’s Best Jekyll and Hyde Hangouts

Some places cannot decide what they want to be when they grow up. These North Carolina spots made indecision into an art form. By...

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You Need To Find This Massachusetts Halal Spot Where Tacos Meet Biryani

Massachusetts has no shortage of great tacos. And biryani? Plenty of solid options. But a place where both share the same menu?

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This Swamp Sanctuary In Louisiana Has Over 100 Water Bird Nests And Zero Gift Shops

You will not find a plaque at this swamp. No visitor center. Definitely no gift shop selling stuffed alligators in plastic bags....

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This Haunted California Walking Trail Is Hiding Ghosts From a 19th?Century Railroad Disaster

You would never guess what happened here just by looking at the trail. Oak trees. Dappled sunlight. The sound of birds.

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Affordable Retirement Still Exists And It’s Hiding in This Nevada City

Everyone thinks retirement is out of reach. That you need a million dollars just to stop working. But there is a city in Nevada...

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I Found the Bluest Waterfall in Arkansas And It’s Not the One You Think

Arkansas has a famous waterfall. Everyone knows it. Postcards. Instagram. The...

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This Hidden South Carolina Diner Puts Every Fancy Breakfast Spot To Absolute Shame

Fancy breakfast spots have their place. Avocado toast. Cold brew. Eggs with names you cannot pronounce.

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This Kansas Farm Hides 11 Acres of Tigers and Wolves Near a Famous Cider Mill

Kansas is known for wheat fields and sunflowers. Not tigers. Not wolves. But this farm hides both, 11 acres of big cats and canines...

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This Nevada Geyser Was a Drilling Accident Now It Shoots Rainbow Colored Water Five Feet High

Nevada was looking for water. They drilled. They missed. And now a geyser shoots out of the desert floor, not with clear water,...

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One Sip Of The Milkshakes At This Tiny Illinois Ice Cream Shop And You’ll Understand Why People Drive For Hours

Illinois has plenty of ice cream shops. Some are fine. Some are forgettable. This tiny spot is neither.

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Heavenly Meals Inside a Landmark South Carolina Church

Churches are not usually known for their food. Potlucks, sure. Casseroles. But a restaurant inside a landmark church?

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This New York Restaurant Serves Up Jukebox Vibes, Retro Charm, and Zero Regrets

You walk in and immediately understand the assignment. Red vinyl stools. A long counter. A jukebox in the corner playing something...

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Must-Visit Coffee Shops In Tucson, Arizona, 6 Top Picks For Coffee Lovers

Tucson does not mess around when it comes to coffee. The heat demands good iced drinks. The early mornings demand strong hot...

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California’s Wildlife Crossing Now Has An Opening Date

For years, wildlife in California has played a deadly game of Frogger across a ten lane freeway. Mountain lions. Bobcats. Deer.

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This Glamping Resort in Saluda, North Carolina Has Rare Blue Ghost Fireflies You Won’t Find Anywhere Else

You have probably seen fireflies before. Little green blinks in the summer dusk. Familiar. Nice.

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13 Florida Wildlife Refuges Where The Only Thing You’ll Pay Is Attention

Florida has a reputation for expensive attractions. Theme parks that cost a hundred bucks a day. Tours that drain your wallet....

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You Will Dream About The Giant Cinnamon Rolls From This Little Known Colorado Bakery

I need to warn you about something. Once you eat one of these cinnamon rolls, every other cinnamon roll becomes a disappointment. That...

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This Small California Town Is So Secluded That Neighbors Become Family Just Like In Virgin River

Virgin River made secluded small towns look romantic. But California has a real version that does not need a Netflix filter. This...

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Goat Bottle Feeding And Overnight Stays At A 1,200-Acre Arkansas Ranch

I showed up thinking I would just pet a few goats and head out. Five hours later I was still there, bottle feeding a kid named Pickles and seriously considering canceling my hotel...

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Folsom, California Gets A Taste Of Vietnam As Tran Kitchen Opens Its Doors

Folsom has plenty of places to eat. Burgers, tacos, pizza, the usual suspects. But Vietnamese food? That has been harder to find...

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Nugget Market Continues North California Growth With New Store Opening

Some grocery stores feel like a chore. Fluorescent lights, squeaky carts, and the same sad produce every week. Nugget Market...

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This California Ceramics Studio Lets You Carve Tattoo-Inspired Designs Into Your Own Mug

I have done those paint your own pottery places before. Choose a color. Slap it on. Walk away feeling like an artist.

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These 6 South Carolina Ice Cream Parlors Serve Soft Serve That Tastes Like Your Childhood

Remember getting ice cream as a kid? The kind where the soft serve came out swirled so high you worried it might topple over. Sprinkles...

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One of Maryland’s Most Beloved Farmers Markets Is Moving To A Brand New Location

Change is hard. Especially when it involves your Saturday morning routine. For years, locals have shown up to the same dusty...

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Maine’s Hidden Mountain Ponds Are Waiting Where Nobody Thinks To Look

Everyone heads to the coast. Acadia, lobster rolls, rocky beaches. That is what Maine is known for. But the mountains?

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11 Colorado Spring Hikes That Give You The Payoff Without The Pain

Look, I love a good view as much as anyone. But I do not love gasping for air, questioning my life choices, or feeling my legs turn into jelly halfway up a mountain.

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Why Louisiana Locals Will Happily Drive Miles For One Slice Of This Pecan Pie

I have eaten a lot of pecan pie in my life. Most of it is fine. Sweet, nutty, does the job. But I did not understand why people...

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Tennessee Has A 27 Acre Sandbox For Adults Who Never Outgrew Playing With Trucks

I spent way too many childhood afternoons pushing Tonka trucks through the dirt, making engine sounds with my mouth like it was a full time job. So when I heard about a place in...

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The Beignets At This Low Key Louisiana Bakery Have No Business Being That Good But Here We Are

Powdered sugar does not care about your plans. It will land on your shirt, your phone, your lap, and you will not mind one bit. Not...

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This Illinois Church Hosted A Mob Boss And Ghosts Relive The Hit Every Night

A cathedral in Chicago stops you cold the moment you step onto the sidewalk outside it. The building rises with grand Gothic bones and stained glass windows that catch the afternoon...

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Florida Farm Offers Goat Yoga And Hammock Meditations That Will Ruin Regular Yoga Forever

A farm tucked along a quiet Florida road completely rewired my idea of what a reset looks like. Goats wander freely between yoga mats, hammocks sway gently beneath a canopy of...

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This Arizona Warehouse Sale That Sells Returned Items By The Pound

Not knowing what hides behind a door is half the fun. A certain warehouse in Arizona has turned that feeling into an entire shopping experience.

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